‘Best possible start’
P.E.I. education minister says national child care deal, which will see $7 billion flowing to provinces, will have significant benefits to Island children
The Liberal government has signed a national child care deal with the provinces, but Quebec is staying out of the multilateral agreement.
“I am very proud that we have now arrived to a successful agreement to help Canadian children and families have access to affordable, high-quality, flexible and fully inclusive child care,” Families Minister JeanYves Duclos said in a statement released Monday as he signed the deal with the provinces in Ottawa.
“Through this agreement, we are giving Canadian children the best possible start in life and providing support to families who need it the most,” Duclos said.
The Liberal government negotiated the agreement — called the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework — to set out the parameters for billions in new child care spending unveiled in the 2017 budget: quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility and inclusivity.
“The agreement we signed today will have very significant benefits for our 0 to 4 yearolds and the strategic growth of our early childhood sector,” said P.E.I.’s Education Minister Doug Currie.
“It will enable us to improve quality, expand access to more affordable and flexible child care, while providing more support for children more in need.”
The three-year bilateral agreement with the federal government will outline details on the funding Prince Edward Island will receive and how it will be allocated. The agreement will be finalized over the next few weeks.
“Together, we are optimistic that the new agreement will mean that more Island children can experience the enriching environment of high quality early learning and care,” Currie said. “It will allow us to build on the excellence P.E.I. has achieved to date, to improve quality, and to expand access for under-served populations and children who are more vulnerable.” The Canadian Press reported last week that provinces will not be able to use the funding to subsidize their own programs, but a spokesman for Duclos said Monday that does not mean it has to be used to create new spaces. The flexible arrangement means provinces can choose to invest in improving the quality of care, or any of the other principles laid out by Duclos. Quebec, which has had its own universal child care program for 20 years, did not join the framework.
The federal budget committed about $7 billion in new child-care funding, starting with $500 million this fiscal year and increasing to $870 million annually by 2026, which includes money for indigenous child care on reserves.
Through bilateral agreements to be hammered out over the next few months, the Liberal government will provide $1.2 billion over the next three years.
The framework said that governments will have to report annually on their progress.